Chess Master Goran Vojinovic preps Buckeyes for big match against Michigan
I don’t care if it is football, basketball, synchronized swimming, or the chess club, that sentence alone should put you in a good mood. On Sunday, the sport of choice was men’s basketball, as the Buckeyes methodically outlasted the Wolverines 64-49.
While I certainly do not give a damn for the whole state of Michigan, I did give a damn about this game. The two rivals entered the contest tied atop the Big Ten standings, just ahead of Michigan State and Wisconsin. With showdowns against each of these teams looming, it was imperative that the Buckeyes held serve on their home court.
The game was not the most aesthetically pleasing display of basketball, as Ohio State only lead 24-21 at the half before slowly pulling away (unless you are a Wisconsin fan – then it was an outright offensive explosion). As the teams traded mini spurts, starting with the 5-0 lead Michigan jumped out to, there seemed to be somewhat of an air of uneasiness in the Schott. An objective analyst may say that was because it took the heavily favored Buckeyes awhile to finally put the Wolverines away, but I think the fans were having trouble fighting back their acid reflux reaction that automatically occurs whenever one is exposed to the combination of Maize and Blue.
The primary pregame storyline heading into the clash was the homecoming of Michigan point guard Trey Burke, who grew up in Columbus and was Jared Sullinger’s high school teammate. Thad Matta, who already had the McDonald’s All-American Shannon Scott and Aaron Craft locked up at the point guard spot, chose not to heavily recruit Burke. So, while it’s clearly not Burke’s fault he is not in the hometown Scarlet and Gray, I think it is perfectly reasonable for the Buckeye faithful to hold a grudge against the 19 year old kid. After all, he chose to go up north.
I honestly expected Burke to press too much and struggle Sunday afternoon in front of his (ex) hometown fans. What’s more, it has been scientifically proven that a small part of you dies every time you put on a Michigan jersey, so I wasn’t sure if he had enough inner drive left at this point of the season to deal with Craft’s suffocating defense for 40 minutes. However, the Columbus product held his own, finishing with 13 points, five assists, and two steals.
Even though he decided to take his talents to the school up north, Burke did not draw the majority of the ire from the Ohio State fans. That ridicule was reserved for Zack Novak, who seems to be playing his ninth or tenth season for Michigan. Novak, who kindly reminded the crowd (or at least me) that he was indeed the one they should hate with a ridiculous Aaron Rodgers inspired championship belt (or discount double-check) motion during pregame introductions, was the target of numerous chants and derision from the Buckeye Nuthouse.
Despite the pregame hype around the point guard matchup, and the general annoyance of Novak, the key to the game was the hustle and performance of Lenzelle Smith Jr. The sophomore guard put on his best Evan Turner impersonation, leading the Buckeyes in both points, with 17, and rebounds, with 12. In a game where Sullinger struggled to deal with early foul trouble and only pulled down five boards, Smith’s rebounding prowess was crucial. In fact, eight of Smiths’ rebounds came on the offensive side of the floor, which directly led to the majority of his 17 points.
Helping Smith out in the scoring department was Sullinger with 13 points, Deshaun Thomas with 12, and William Buford with 12 (despite six turnovers). Another Jr. – Tim Hardaway Jr. – led the Wolverines in scoring with 15 points of his own.
The Buckeyes will not play again until Saturday when they travel to Wisconsin, giving the fans some time to revel in the victory over their hated rivals. While beating Michigan is always a treat, watching Novak miss every shot he took and score zero points during the process was just icing on the cake.
Good luck with that championship belt.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m glad to see Smith improving and becoming a bigger part of the offense. We already have probably the best defensive point guard in the country in Craft. And when defense collapses to double and triple team Sully, we need someone who can reliably score. Buford was supposed to be the key scoring threat but, and maybe it’s just my imagination, it seems like Buford’s points come when it doesn’t really matter. I cringe when he has the ball at an important time in a game. For some reason, when the game is close, he hits all iron. It could just seem that way, but it does appear that he’s underachieving a bit this year. Important games coming up and hopefully the fellas have finally learned how to win on the road. Won’t be playing the final four at the Schot.
Awww now I feel like an ass. With Craft and Sully sitting down because of foul trouble, and the Buckeye’s defense looking like swiss cheese, Mr Buford steps up and hits clutch bucket after clutch bucket.
I learned 2 things:
1. William is perfectly capable of turning a game around.
2. We cannot afford to have both Craft and Sully sitting the bench at the same time for extended periods. Please fix that Thad.
Otherwise..all is good in Buckeye land. We proved that we CAN win a close game…and one that looked like it was slipping away with about 6 minutes to play.
What’s up with the mid week night games? I need my sleep.